


Halloween is for losers

by podcastalien



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Bi Richie Tozier, College AU, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Late Halloween Fic, M/M, actually fuck ted tbh, angst w happy ending, dumb Star Wars references, dumb guys named ted, sorry bout it, sorry ted, unedited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-18 17:03:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16521116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/podcastalien/pseuds/podcastalien
Summary: Eddie and Richie had been drifting since they came to college. But Halloween is the sacred Richie and Eddie tradition that Richie is determined will bring them back together.





	Halloween is for losers

**Author's Note:**

> I’m gay and here’s my late, unedited, reddie Halloween fic. Let’s get this bread y’all.

Halloween is for losers 

 

1994

College had been weird so far for Richie Tozier. He had left most of his childhood in Derry Maine, moving to New York City to pursue radio and comedy. But he’d ended up bringing a couple of his friends with him. 

Three other members of the  loser’s club had come with him here, to the same university even. Ben, Bill, and Eddie had all gotten their letters when Richie had. Since then, it’d been a strange experiment in finding balance between your oldest, closest friends, and  the new, exploratory phase of your life where people shift in and out of your eye line twenty times a day. Richie honestly didn’t know if they were doing a good job at it. 

He was busy with classes and an internship at the campus radio station that was more like a record stocking job, and desperately trying to network with the people around him. 

Ben was studying architecture and it seemed as though he’d picked a major that was created to kick his ass. He spent most of his hours at the library, barely ever in his and Bill’s room. 

 

And Bill that poor bastard, he’d been mopey since they’d left. A creative writing major that never seemed to leave his dorm. Strangely enough, he was the loser Richie had seen the most, he’d come over to Richie’s and they’d smoke together. Richie had been a few joints short of a pothead in high school, Bill had only done it occasionally but he’d really latched onto it once they got here. He’d claimed that it relaxed him. He’d formed darker circles under his eyes and Richie sometimes swore he could hear his middle school stutter returning, so he didn’t want to argue with that. And it gave them time to catch up, something they’d both desperately needed. They’d lay on the shitty freshman dorm floor between Richie’s shifts and Bill’s classes and listen to old music on Bill’s dad’s record player he’d snatched from the attic when they left. A final fuck you to Zack Denbrough. They’d talk about people they’d met, Bill’s story ideas, and sometimes just lay in silence. The way you can only comfortably do in the presence of an old friend. He saw Bill more than he saw his own roommate. 

 

Eddie and Richie had decided to dorm together because it made sense. They’d been having sleepovers since they were in second grade. But now that they could finally stretch themselves out without the constraints of their parents, Richie barely saw the friend who he’d spent the most time with throughout his teenage years. Eddie had classes, a part time job at a campus bookstore, and he’d become active in clubs Richie didn’t even know he had interest in until he saw him at events the radio station sometimes covered. He was never front and center running it but he was there. And god knows what that kid did at night. 

Dates maybe? Richie thought it had to be. He’d change and shower after work and be out the door by 7:00 and then wouldn’t be back until 11:00, sometimes the whole night. Then he’d usually sleep or study for the rest of the night, not giving Richie much time to really talk to him. But he didn’t have time to be sad about that, he only had time for the somewhat bitter taste in his mouth upon exchanging only passing greetings with his now distant and secretive friend. They’d been drifting for the past three or so months and now it was October. That sacred and unholy month of Halloween. Richie and Eddie had done matching costumes since seventh grade, every year with varying degrees of success. Richie had no intention of letting that tradition go, regardless of the current state of their relationship,  _ maybe even because of it.  _

“Hey Eds,” he’d said opening the door to their dorm last Tuesday. Eddie was lying on his bed, scribbling into one of his books for his English class. 

“Hey,” he’d said, no regard for the nickname and barely looking up from his book. 

“So,” he placed his keys on the ring and tossed his shoes off, “What are we being for Halloween?” That had made Eddie perk up. 

“Uh, I don’t know. I didn’t know if we were doing that this year.” 

Richie furrowed his brow “We do it every year.” 

Eddie had looked unsure and that stirred something in visceral Richie’s stomach.

“I mean if you really want to, I don’t know where we’d go-“ 

“One of my buddies from the station is having a party,” he’d said easily.  _ Buddy was a loose term considering he and Ted feuded about almost everything from where that record goes to whether The Rolling Stones or the Beatles were superior. But that didn’t matter much because, _ “There’s gonna be a ton of people there not just radio people, he’s in a frat.” 

Eddie sighed, “Oh, great, a frat.”

Richie chuckled, “Oh don’t be like that Eddie. There’ll be tons of alcohol and music and  _ girls _ .” He enunciated that last part. 

Eddie’s face went a little red, “Why would that matter?” 

“C’mon, Eds you’ve been gone almost every night since we got here. You’ve got to be chasing some sort of tail.” He trailed off. “Which is you know, Uh fine. But you still gotta make time for your friends when you’re swimming in ladies.”

Eddie scoffed, face still pink  “Why did you have to say it like that?” If there’s one thing Richie knew how to do, it was to get Eddie worked up. 

“I’m just saying. So, costumes, I’m thinkin Luke and Han: lady killer duo.” 

“Uh, yeah that’s fine.” He said, getting up and shuffling his book and notes into his messenger bag.

“Aren’t you going to ask who’s who?” Eddie didn’t look up. 

“I assume you’ll be Han,” he moved to the door, slipping on his coat and shoes. 

“That says more about me than it does about me, spaghetti.” Richie joked watching him. Eddie finally gave him pissed off face- squinted eyes, “I’m going to the library,” he said sharply hand on the door. 

“Uh alright,” Eddie rolled his eyes and walked out. 

“I was just joking, Jesus.” He said, he didn’t know who to. He flopped down on his bed, feeling not much better than he had before. 

-

And that’s how he’d ended up here, laying on the floor of his dorm, October 30th, with a hot glue gun, fabric, and old clothes to make the costumes. Again, something they’d been doing since they were kids, inevitably throwing pieces together the night before. They used everything in their arsenal to make their outfits. It was always a collaborative effort: Richie had his creative visions of what they should look like but Eddie was always better at execution and working with his hands. They cut pieces of fabric and got glue on themselves while blaring Halloween hits like  _ ghostbusters _ and eating too much candy. They looked forward to it every year. Richie had left a note on their bulletin that morning before he left for the station- 

_ Eds/Luke- _

_ Tonight, 8:00: Me, you, and a whole lot of hot glue. :)  _

He makes a cup of noodles and some sketches at 7:00. He didn’t know when Eddie would be back but he didn’t doubt he’d be there on time. Eddie wouldn’t miss it. 

But all of the sudden it’s 8:05 and Richie starts to get worried. 

8:30 and Richie starts to get restless, biting his lip and wondering whether he should start without him. 

9:00 and Richie says  _ fuck it  _ and begins making his belt and holster, he could be Han by himself. It is Han  _ Solo _ for a reason. 

10:00 and he’s covered in glue, pissed and now the owner of a weird, mangled belt too small for his waist. He flings it across the room and rubs his hands over his eyes. He really shouldn’t care this much.  _ It’s a stupid kid thing. You’re in college now and so is he. Let it go.  _ He tells himself. But that only made him feel worse. He tosses himself onto his bed, still in his clothes. He blacks out. 

-

He wakes up to the small creak of the door and leans on his elbows, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. A silhouette is removing its shoes and shedding its jacket. 

Richie reaches over flicks the lamp on. Eddie is like a deer in the headlights. His hair is puffy and sticking up in places, his red sweatshirt is on backwards. His lips look swollen and red. 

He sees Eddie’s eyes fall to the floor and take in the scattered items strewn out. 

“Oh shit-“ he says. 

“Yep,” Richie cuts him off groggily. He reaches for his glasses on the bedside table. 

“I’m sorry Richie I totally forgot-“ Eddie starts.

“Sure you did,” Richie hears his own voice start to irrationally boil with anger. “You totally forgot this thing we do every year. And you forgot that we were actually supposed to hang out again for the first time in months.”  

Eddie sighs, “Why do we have to do it this year Richie?” His voice is strained and tired. It makes him want to cry. “Why does it matter so much? It’s college. We’re busy. You’ve got your radio friends. I’ve got mine.” 

Richie is standing across the room from him. Hurt morphs into anger as he speaks,  “Yeah, who are your friends exactly now Eddie? Because it sure as shit ain’t us any more. You haven’t said a word to Bill in weeks.  _ Bill _ remember Bill?” He mocks. He feels the venom on his tongue as he keeps talking. He really never did know when to shut up. “The rest of us are are desperately missing each other because we’re busy. You seem to be purposefully avoiding everybody. I live with you and you won’t even talk to me.” 

“Fuck you,” Eddie spits. 

“Yeah, fuck me for caring. About my best friend. My roommate. Who I haven't seen had a genuine conversation in weeks. My roommate who just wants to forget about his friends and fuck around with girls 24/7.” 

“I  w-wasn’t with a girl-“ he says weakly. 

“Your sweater’s on backwards, asshole. At least cover your tracks. I’m going to Bill’s.” He looks over at the small clock on the bedside table,  _ 12:00.  _ Happy Halloween by the way.” He closes the door on him. 

-

When he comes back in the morning, there’s a finished costume sitting on his bed. Eddie is still sleeping. Richie swallows the feeling crawling up his throat at the sight of his friend with his eyes closed and lips slightly parted. 

 

Richie gets back to the dorm after work at 9:00 the party starts at 10:00. He and Eddie put on their costumes and watch whatever horror movie is on their shitty little TV in relative silence. 

Eddie is good a Luke. He’s  got the spunk and the need to prove himself, _A new_ _hope_ era Luke. His hair is naturally complemented by the off white color of his costume. As Richie is taking him in he sees him reach under his bed and pull out a cardboard box and place it on his bed. He shuffles around in it for a second before making a self satisfied hum at the sight of his old toy lightsaber. He presses the latch and a blue plastic sword shape pops out. A million memories of lightsaber battles, _in which Eddie always won_ , come flowing to Richie. 

“You kept that?” Richie asks, breaking their relative silence. 

“Why wouldn’t I have?” He retorts and puts it in his makeshift holster. 

Richie slips on his vest. 

-

On their walk across campus, they stop at Bill and Ben’s. He may have forgotten to mention that they were coming to Eddie. 

“What are we doing here?” He asks with a slight squeak to his voice. 

“Getting Bill and Ben.” Richie answers as the door opens.

Bill answers the door, dressed in a flannel and dark jeans and Ben in a sweatshirt and slacks. 

“Hey Richie,” he says casually. “Hi, Ed,” he adds after a slight pause, sounding a bit surprised to see him. Eddie smiles, “Hey Bill.” 

“Where are your costumes?” Richie blurts out. 

Bill takes a pair of cheap vampire teeth out of his pocket and puts them in his mouth. “Here,” he says with a lisp. 

“Lame,” Eddie says, with arms crossed surprising everyone. It was the first time in a long time Eddie seemed to be acting normal in their dynamic.

“Yeah,” Richie adds, “You’ve got shitty teeth everyday Bill.”

_ “Beep Beep Richie!”  _ All three of them say and then all four of them laugh. 

“Ready to go, Haystack?” Richie calls to Ben, who puts on a witch hat. 

“Now I am,” he says “C’mon guys,” he says leading them out into the hall, 

“Halloween is for losers!” He proclaims. And for a few good minutes everything is like it once was. The way it was supposed to be. 

-

Richie wishes he could say that the light, almost back to normal tone of the group was kept up the whole night. But five minutes upon waking into the party, Bill was chatting up what Richie was pretty sure was the student librarian, Ben was off drinking like the world was ending, and Eddie was god knows where. 

He doesn’t know how all of them even split up so fast. He’d led them all out to the makeshift dance floor and then they’d all somehow went in separate directions. That’s pretty emblematic of their time here at school, but Richie doesn’t really find that funny. 

And of course his mood is worsened by the fact that Ted’s got a shitty setlist going. Richie had seen him put in the CDs, hit random on the player, and walk off.  _ How the hell does this guy expect to compete with me for a job when he can’t even man a glorified boombox for the night?  _ He thinks, downing another sip of the cheap, watery beer he’d been nursing. The couches had been pushed to the walls in the living room and Richie is watching people dance. They bustle clumsily against each other in what you could barley call clothes much less costumes. 

 

“Aye Solo!” He hears someone call.

He looks over and recognizes Jodie from the station. She’s a sophomore with a taste for classic rock. The first day he stumbled into his internship, she’d been stocking cds and he’d complemented  her on her Led Zeppelin T-shirt. They started talking albums and she had shown Richie the ropes without even really meaning to. Tonight she’s wearing heavy eye makeup and a red leather jacket that complements her dark skin and short hair.  _ Finally someone else in an actual costume.  _

“Chrissie Hynde!” He calls back laughing. 

“Finally!” She sighs, “someone gets it. People think I’m James Dean with this fucking jacket.” 

“That’s just lazy,” Richie says, glad he took his first guess and not his second. The music washes over them and neither of them are enjoying Ted’s collection of overplayed modern pop. 

“God damn. I thought Ted couldn’t suck anymore.” She says into her cup. 

“Fuckin’ right?” Richie chuckles. There’s a pause where Richie would normally crack another joke at Ted’s expense. It passes in silence. 

“You wanna dance?” She asks casually. 

“Your boyfriend won’t beat me up?” Richie half jokes, he’s made that mistake before. 

She laughs, “What makes you think I have one of those?” 

He shrugs, “Lots of girls who ask me to dance do.”

Jodie sighs and drags him by his arm out onto the makeshift dance floor, “No boyfriend.” She pauses, “I do have a girlfriend,” she spins Richie around with her arm, Richie ducks under the spin as he’s quite taller than her. “And she could beat you up if she wanted to. But she knows you and I are just friends.” 

Richie’s eyes go a bit big and his cheeks slightly red in the dark of the party. 

“Girlfriend eh?” He asks in a shitty accent no one but himself can discern its intended origin. He grabs her hands and they start to twist before he spins her like she had a minute before, “So that’s why you’re able to resist my charms.” 

She scoffs through a giggle, “You wish. God help the girl you end up with, Tozier.”  There’s a sudden change of the song and Richie recognizes it as the opening to “You can call me Al” by Paul Simon, it’s ones of Eddie’s favorites. 

“Oh shit!” He shouts, trying to look above the crowd, “I gotta find Eds, this is like,” he trails off, hands moving, looking for the words. 

“Your song?” She asks smugly.

“Yeah! Our song!” Jodie smiles. “I’ll catch up with you, dude I gotta find Eddie!” He calls already half gone. 

He pushes through the crowds of people and makes his way towards the kitchen. There’s a slew of drunk people leaning on the wall and Richie figured it might find Eddie somewhere in that vicinity. He doesn’t. He pushes through closer to the kitchen, desperately scanning for his friend. 

He sees a dude from his sociology class standing, swaying slightly talking to a girl with a blue wig. Richie cuts into their conversation, “hey man, have you seen a dude come through here: short, brown hair, kind of angry looking, dressed like Luke skywalker?” The dude nods his head slowly. “Oh great,” he sighs, “did you see where he went?” 

He nods again and points towards the kitchen entrance, “I think I saw him go in there a while ago,” he gives Richie the up and down with his eyes, taking in his costume. “I’d watch out though, I think your guy’s in the hands of Lando now.” Richie doesn’t get what that means, but he thanks the guy and heads towards the room. 

The kitchen is small, lit by dim yellow light and filled with a dozen or so people. One of which, is Eddie Kaspbrak, sitting on the counter nursing a red cup, his legs dangling as his head throws back in laugher. And who is standing looking at him, making him laugh? Richie’s stomach drops as he recognizes the back of that kids head. 

_ Fucking Ted.  _ Richie feels his blood boil at the sight.

“Eddie!” He yells, “Eds!” Eddie turns his head and finds his eye as Richie approaches them. “Hey Richie,” he smiles before turning back to face Ted. 

Richie doesn’t let it deter him, if anything it pushes him to keep taking. 

“Eds, they’re playing that song you love,” 

“I know, I asked Ted to put it on,” 

Ted waves smugly, “Hey Richie,” he says. “Eds, eh?” He asks. 

He wants to punch that sneer right off Ted’s stupid face. 

“It’s just a dumb nickname from when were kids.” 

Richie would be lying if he said that don’t fucking sting. 

“I like it.” Ted says, eyeing Eddie a way that makes Richie’s stomach lurch for a reason he can’t name.

“Well it’s not really yours to like, Ted.” Richie gets closer to him, “I came up with it.” 

There’s a sudden  _ crash _ ! And the tension breaks as someone shouts, “Eddsy! Richie Rich!” They both turn their heads at the yell that’s loud even over the blaring music. It’s Ben, hunched over and stumbling towards them nearly falling several times. The red solo cup he’s holding is spilling onto the ground. Eddie jumps off the counter and onto his feet at a rate that could give Richie whiplash. “Jesus Christ Ben,” Eddie meets him in the middle, dripping with concern. 

Richie stands stupidly for a minute before running over and throwing one of Ben’s arms over his shoulder. Eddie does the same. Ben starts laughing and then choking on his giggles and burps, Eddie slaps his back. “My boys!” He yells, in Richie’s face, smelling like pungent beer. “Where’s Bill, we gotta get him out of here,” Eddie says. 

“Bill!” Ben shouts, “Bill! Billy went back - _ burp-   _ to the room with a  _ girlllllll!!!”  _

Eddie sighs, “Shit. Okay. Rich, help me out here,” they start to walk as best they can through the crowd. 

“Call me Eddie!” He hears Ted yell. Eddie turns around and nods at him. Richie scowls, moving them along, “C’mon, Ben.”

-

They push through people by the hoards, Eddie the force to be reckoned with, pushing them past sweaty bodies too close together.  _ Move!  _ He’ll command when people refuse to take the hint. One guy snickers at them as Eddie shoves through the crowd angrily, “Better keep Leia in check there, Han.”

Eddie turns around, “I’m Luke and fuck off!” They make it barely out the door and onto the sidewalk. They turn left back into the direction of their dorms as the fall wind hits the three of them with a chill.

Ben erupts into laughter for the millionth time, making it harder to move him. 

“It’s not funny,” Eddie says. 

“It totally-  _ belch _ \- is.” Ben stammers. 

“C’mon. It kind of is Eds,” Richie laughs softly. 

Eddie meets his eyes, brows pushed together in fury, “Oh yeah? About as funny as you embarrassing me right, Trashmouth?”

He scoffs at that, despite the pang of pain in his chest, “please, I can’t embarrass you in front of Ted. If anything he should be embarrassed. Guy’s a fucking tool.”

Eddie suddenly stops the three of them in their tracks, “You don’t get to decide who I hang out with Richie,” he bites back. 

“Trust me I know that. I don’t even get to hang out with you anymore! Because i guess I’m that fucking embarrassing!” Richie shouts. 

Eddie opens his mouth when Ben breaks apart from the both of them, running to the grass to puke. Eddie gags, because he’s Eddie. 

“S-sorry,” Ben wipes his mouth on his sleeve. 

“Don’t be, man,” Eddie chokes, trying to look unbothered. 

Ben plops himself down on the sidewalk. 

“You alright there buddy?” Richie leans down and sits with him. 

“No,” he sighs as Eddie sits on the other side of him. “I’m so tired guys, like so tired,” he mumbles. “I have so much homework, I feel like I’m dying. I wanted to just forget about all the stress for tonight but then you guys started fighting. And I miss you too so much and Bill too. And I hate when you guys fight. That week sophomore year where you guys wouldn’t talk to each other. That was like… the worst week ever. And I miss Bev, do you guys miss Bev? I really miss her.” He lets all this spill out while Eddie and Richie look at each other trying to remember the last time they heard Ben say that much that fast.  

“Yeah, we miss her,” Eddie finally says, placing a hand on his back,  “We miss you too.” Ben throws his arms around Eddie’s neck. “I was starting to think you were mad at all of us,” he mumbles into Eddie’s shoulder. 

Eddie goes a bit red, “No. never. I’m sorry. I just I had some stuff to figure out that’s all.” 

“Like what?” Ben asks and Richie looks at him with the same question on his face. 

He shakes his head, “it doesn’t really matter right now, let’s just get you home Okay Ben?” Ben nods. 

“We should probably get him back to ours, if Bill’s getting it on at their place.” 

Ben laughs and Eddie scoffs again, lifting Ben up, almost falling. Richie helps them up as they start to make their way back to the dorm. 

They get up the stairs, not without falling a few times and to the room finally at around 2 am. 

“Alright lay him down on my bed,” Eddie commands. 

Richie stops, “Where will you sleep?”

“Does it matter? Just put him down.” They flop him on the bed and Eddie pulls a blanket over him. “Poor Haystack” Richie sighs looking down at him. Eddie goes over to sit on Richie’s bed, kicking off his shoes. 

It’s awkwardly silent again, Richie didn’t ever think was possible between the two of them but somehow it had become common place. 

“I’m sorry,” Eddie says, cutting through the thick, tense air. “I wasn’t- I’m-“ he sighs,

“I shouldn’t have been have said you embarrassed me. I meant what I said when I told Ben I wasn’t mad at any of you.” He’s looking at the ground. 

“I’m sorry too,” Richie says after a while, “I just missed you,” he says, blushing under the soft light of their room. 

“I don’t want you to think I don’t care, I just, like I said I had some stuff to work through.” 

Richie sits on the bed next to him, “Can you please just tell me what’s going on?” 

“I-“ he stumbles and breathes in, still not meeting his eyes, “I’m gay, Richie.”

There’s another pause before he opens his mouth, Richie wants to say something but he doesn’t know what.  

“That’s why I haven’t been talking to you. I needed to get some stuff figured out when I got here. And I wasn’t really ready to tell anyone but I needed to explore that part of myself.” The words flow out of him like he’s been holding them in a long time. Richie  feels guilt pool in his stomach “I-I was waiting to tell you but clearly that isn’t an option. I kind of stopped talking because if I was going to tell you anything about what I was doing when you asked, I’d be outing myself or lying to you. I just needed some time. I tried to tell you when I came back to the dorm the other night but then you just left.” He’s fiddling with a loose string on his costume.

“I’m not like ashamed or anything. I was for a while. But not anymore. I just wanted to know what I was feeling was real before I told you guys.” His eyes move from the floor to Richie’s face.

“Maybe I was a little scared to tell you. We were always close, I didn’t want to freak you out I guess.” 

Richie’s dumbfounded on what to say, it’s a lot to take in. But he knows he has to say something, he coughs,  “So, Uh, Ted huh? Is he like your type or whatever?”

Eddie lets out a laugh, one that makes his eyes sparkle, “God no. He started flirting with me and I thought he was alright until he started talking about his music taste and his favorite movies. He really fuckin pretentious. I can’t stand that.” 

_ Phew  _ Richie thinks despite himself _.  _

“Well good, because you know, you can uh, do better than that,” he stumbles awkwardly around the words. 

Eddie gives him a smile, “thanks.” 

Silence again as they stand in the middle of the room, searching for words.

“Can I ask you something though?” 

Eddie nods. 

“Why did you think you couldn’t like… be gay and be friends with me? Like I get it some people are assholes but you know I’m cool with like whatever.”

Eddie puts his hands on his face, “Oh god,” he says through them. 

“What?” 

“This is exactly what I wanted to avoid, alright,” he sucks in breath again, hands falling to his lap,  “I had a crush on you in highschool. Okay? And it ended when you got I saw you kiss Mackenzie Stevens at that party senior year. That’s when it set in that you didn’t feel the same way, you couldn’t. Which is fine. But I didn’t want it to like…” he trails off, “Come up again now that we’re living together. I just wanted to move on. I did so, you know, don’t worry” 

Richie is again at a loss for words, he feels his heart shatter and soar at the same time, he doesn’t have the time to think about what he says next, 

“What makes you think I couldn’t?” He says, lips moving without his permission. 

“W-what?” 

“Why couldn’t I have liked you back?”

Eddie looks him in the face, puzzled, Richie can’t really say he understands what he’s getting at either. 

“I don’t know? Aren’t you like, straight?” Eddie lifts an eyebrow. 

“I mean, like, I guess.” Richie shrugs. “But not really.”

“What does that mean?” He asks, confusion and frustration clear in his voice. 

“I don’t know!” Richie’s hands are up and he’s loud without meaning to be. “I just- I sort of liked you too-“ he cuts himself off “ in high school.”

There’s a long pause as they both look at the ground Eddie is playing with the loose string again and Richie is tapping his foot. It’s kind of a childish and ridiculous picture, Richie thinks, two grown ass men in Star Wars costumes refusing to look at each other despite what they just said to one another. 

“I-“ 

“Can-“ 

They say at the same time. 

“Go ahead,” Richie says.

“No, what were you going to say?” 

They stare at each other for another few seconds before Eddie pounces onto Richie. He’s draping his arms around his neck and kissing him like Richie’s lips are oxygen and Eddie’s trying to stay alive. Richie hums into his mouth and falls back onto the bed, bringing the smaller man down with him. Their tongues slot together and Richie’s hands run up and down Eddie’s sides. Eddie’s hands are pulling at his messy mountain of hair. They break apart as Richie sits up, faces still only centimeters apart and he sees Eddie’s lips, red and swollen and eyes half lidded. He moves his lips to Eddie’s neck, sucking the tender skin. 

“Guys,” Ben says groggily, Eddie jumps off him quickly. 

“Yeah Ben?” Richie asks, his voice hoarse.

“I lost my hat,” he says sorrowfully. 

“What?”

“My hat, my witch hat. I lost it at the party. I can’t be a witch without my witch’s hat.” 

They both try not to laugh as Ben’s clearly upset, “I know buddy,” Richie says, “We’ll buy you a new one okay?”

He nods, “Eddie, did you say you were gay earlier.”

“I did,” he states without hesitation. 

“God,” Ben sighs, “I am so proud of you I could cry, I’m not going to because I’m going to sleep. But I’m so glad you’re gay. Because I want you to be happy. Oh my god... gay means happy!”  It’s obvious he won’t be sober until he gets some sleep. 

“Thanks, Ben, I want you to be happy too. Get some sleep alright?” 

He nods, his eyes still closed and rolls back over. 

They both laugh, Eddie lays down next to Richie, who reaches over and turns off the lamp. They’re squeezed together in his tiny twin bed, but Richie decides he doesn’t mind the closeness. 

“Hey,” Eddie whispers.

“Hey,” Richie says back. 

“Do you want to like, do something tomorrow, with me?” 

“Yeah, of course. Like a Uh-“

“A date,” Eddie cuts in, “if that’s cool I mean.” 

Richie smiles in the dark, “of course.” 

They kiss once more, soft and light before falling asleep together. 

 

Epilogue- 

Richie and Eddie go out for a movie the next day, which they promptly leave half way through to push the beds together in their room and get busy. Richie learns the word for what he is “bisexual.” He thinks Han Solo is probably that too. Eddie starts hanging out with all of them more, actually, they all get better at staying in touch and meeting up as a group. Richie and Eddie have always been in love, that fall they're finally together. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> pls leave me a comment I’m starving. Tumblr- @coffeekaspbrak


End file.
